Mel Schilling, the relationship psychologist known for her work on “Married at First Sight (MAFS)” in both Australia and the United Kingdom, has died at 53 just days after revealing her cancer diagnosis had become terminal.
Gareth Brisbane, her husband, announced on March 24 that “Melanie Jane Brisbane-Schilling passed away peacefully today, surrounded by love.”
The announcement came 12 days after Schilling posted on Instagram revealing she had received a terminal diagnosis. She stated her light was beginning to fade quickly, but that she remained present, continuing to fight and surrounded by immense love. She noted that everyday tasks had become very difficult, and she was depending on her loving family for care.
Schilling’s death marks the end of a brutal battle with colon cancer that began in December 2023. While filming the Australian version of the reality show, she experienced intense abdominal pain and subsequently discovered a lemon-sized tumor. She nicknamed the growth “Terry” and appeared cancer-free after doctors surgically removed it.
But the disease returned. During a routine checkup in late February 2024, medical professionals discovered small nodules in her lungs, indicating the cancer had metastasized.
Despite her illness, Schilling refused to step away from her television work. Over the following years, she underwent 16 rounds of chemotherapy while continuing to film both the U.K. and Australian versions of MAFS. Her husband later revealed that she never missed a single filming session, even when she could barely lift her head from her pillow.
A brief period of hope arrived when doctors told her the cancer was in remission. Her spirits lifted further when she learned she had been accepted into a cutting-edge gene-targeted clinical trial. For a time, it appeared she might overcome the disease.
That hope was shattered when Schilling developed severe headaches and numbness on her right side. After a series of tests, doctors delivered devastating news: the cancer had metastasized to her brain. Multiple rounds of radiotherapy failed, and her medical team ultimately told her no further treatment options remained.
The rapid progression of her illness prevented her from participating in the clinical trial that had offered such hope.
The Australian television personality had been a fixture on both versions of the popular reality series since joining in 2016, offering her expertise as a relationship psychologist to help strangers navigate marriages after meeting for the first time at the altar. She appeared on 12 seasons of the Australian show and also joined the U.K. version starting in 2021. Her vibrant personality and genuine commitment to the couples’ success made her a fan favorite who transcended the typical reality TV expert role.
Channel 4, which broadcasts the show in the United Kingdom, paid tribute to Schilling, describing her as someone who “radiated joy, warmth and optimism” and “energised every room she walked into.” The network honored Schilling’s final wishes by continuing to air MAFS episodes featuring her work, with an on-screen message reading: “It was Mel and her family’s wish that we carry on showing MAFS and celebrate her mission to help others find love and happiness.”
Channel Nine in Australia also paid tribute, saying Schilling “had a gift for connecting with people” and that she guided viewers “through the complexities of the human heart with wisdom, honesty, and kindness,” calling her “a big part of our family.”
John Aiken, her close friend and fellow expert on MAFS Australia, took over her role on the U.K. show with her blessing. In an emotional tribute, Aiken described himself as “heartbroken, devastated, and finding it hard to breathe,” saying that it “was a privilege and an honor to sit beside her on the MAFS couch and watch her shine.”
Tributes poured in from colleagues and contestants from both versions of the show. Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley, hosts of “This Morning,” announced her death during their live broadcast, honoring the “bright and colourful” host. Charlene Douglas, a fellow expert on MAFS U.K., said she was “devastated and heartbroken,” adding that she “had the pleasure of spending time with Mel in her last days.”
Throughout her illness, Schilling remained committed to raising awareness about the importance of early detection. In her final public message, she urged her followers: “If something doesn’t feel right, please get it checked out. It might just save your life.”
Schilling leaves behind her husband, Gareth, whom she married in Bali in 2018 after meeting on a dating site in 2010, and their 10-year-old daughter, Maddie. In his announcement of her passing, Gareth described a poignant final moment: when he believed cancer had taken her ability to speak, she motioned him closer. She whispered a message for him and Maddie that would sustain him for the rest of his life. He closed his tribute with a message to her followers: “Live life to the full, love your people well, and try not to sweat the small stuff.”